Educational Science

Kelping is a 'global phenomenon' sweeping the world of humpback whales, scientists say

Humpback whales frolicking in seaweed — a behavior known as kelping — is more widespread than previously thought and constitutes a global phenomenon, new research has found. Kelping was first observed in 2007, and scientists have described the behavior before — but only as isolated events. It turns out, humpbacks...

Watch footage of 1,000 baleen whales in record-breaking feeding frenzy in Antarctica

Last year, passengers on board a cruise ship near Antarctica were treated to an extremely rare and spectacular sight: a giant congregation of baleen whales feeding on a gargantuan volume of krill for as far as the eye could see. Although initially estimated at several hundred individuals, the true number...

A colossal ancient species of whale that lived 39 million years ago was a true heavyweight, weighing more than double a blue whale and likely earning itself the title as the heaviest known animal to have ever lived. The newly described basilosaurid (a family of extinct cetaceans), called Perucetus colossus,...

What is the deepest-diving mammal?

Marine mammals like whales and seals need highly specialized bodies to dive far below the waves and withstand the crushing pressure of the deep ocean, while going without oxygen for an extended period of time. That’s because mammals, unlike fish, can only get oxygen by breathing the air at the...

Tiny 'King Tut' whale 'lived fast and died fast' in ancient Egyptian waters

A pint-size whale that lived 41 million years ago in what is now Egypt was the smallest of its kind and died young, leading researchers to name it after the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, who died at age 18. Called Tutcetus rayanensis, the newly described species of basilosaurid, an extinct...

Suspected Russian spy whale is looking for love in all the wrong places

A beluga whale suspected of being an unknowing Russian spy is on the move, possibly in search of love. But it appears that he is headed in completely the wrong direction. The covert cetacean, known as Hvaldimir, is a male beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) and is believed to be between 13...

Fears that dead 60-foot-long whale in Ireland could explode sends experts scrambling

Wildlife experts were recently forced to abandon the autopsy of an enormous fin whale corpse that washed up on a beach in Ireland after sounds coming from the giant creature's gut suggested that it could explode if they cut it open. The dead fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), which was around...

Humpback whales caught on film for 1st time treating themselves to a full body scrub on the seafloor

Humpback whales have — for the first time ever — been filmed rolling to and fro on sandy seabeds to scrub off dead skin and unwanted hitchhikers. Footage captured by researchers in the Gold Coast Bay in southeast Queensland, Australia, shows the gigantic marine mammals performing full and side sand...

Baby Moby Dick? Rare white humpback whale calf filmed off Australia

A pearly white baby humpback whale has been filmed off the coast of Australia, prompting speculation about whether it is an extraordinarily rare albino whale. Others also wondered whether the calf could be the offspring of Migaloo, a completely white whale like the mythical Moby Dick. Drone operator Jaydyn Mathewson...

In rare attack, 30 orcas 'badly wounded' 2 adult gray whales in California

Stunning new video shows a pod of orcas attacking two adult gray whales in California's Monterey Bay, in a rare case of predation. Monterey Bay Whale Watch videographer Evan Brodsky, who captured the dramatic footage March 30 using a drone, counted more than 30 orcas. The attacked whales split up...